The college football regular season wraps up as the conferences all hold their championship game. The stakes are high as playoff spots and new year’s six bowl game invitations are on the line.
(12)Utah vs (4)USC: USC has a few things going for them coming into this game: The Trojans are on a hot streak thanks to Caleb Williams, who is almost a shoe-in to win the Heisman. On top of that, it is really hard to beat a team twice in one season, which is what Utah will have to do. USC has looked so dominant, I don’t think I can pick against them, especially since a Playoff spot is on the line.
(13)Kansas State vs (3)TCU: Like I mentioned above, it’s really hard to beat a team twice in a season. In this case, that works in Kansas State’s favor. In the first meeting this season, Kansas State actually led the Horned Frogs by 18 before they lost starting quarterback Adrian Martinez and TCU had a massive comeback. I would not expect to see either team get that large of a lead. This should be a really close game as Kansas State looks for revenge and TCU has a playoff spot on the line. TCU will win on a game winning drive.
(22)UCF at (18)Tulane: In yet another rematch, Tulane will be looking to avenge their loss to UCF from earlier in the season. Both teams' offensive stats rate in the top half of the conference, so this should be filled with action. UCF has the edge with their offense, one of only two teams in the country to average over 240 passing and rushing yards a game. Tulane has a slightly better defense, but in the first meeting that did not work for them. I think Tulane will be playing very hard to reach a New Year’s Six Bowl, and the home crowd will help them get the win.
(11)LSU vs (1)Georgia: Before LSU laid a massive egg in College Station, this game was looking like it could be really competitive. And it still can be, but that’s only if LSU plays a game of a lifetime. However, with Jayden Daniels in a walking boot, this seems unlikely. This will be a lower scoring game, with Georgia’s defense slowly squeezing the life out of LSU. I would expect Georgia to try to run the ball
(10)Clemson vs (24)UNC: After Clemson and UNC have dropped off in previous weeks, it is too bad we can’t replace them with two ACC teams finishing the season on a hot streak, like Florida State and Duke. The stakes aren’t high for this game, but I am interested to see how Drake May looks against Clemson’s defense. He was named the ACC offensive player of the year, but really struggled last week. Although Carolina has a weak defense, DJ Uiagalenlei played horrible and will still be starting this week. This game could turn into a shootout, which really works in UNC’s favor. Carolina will win their first ACC football title since 1980 and cover the spread.
Purdue vs (2)Michigan: The “SpoilerMakers” will be looking to continue their streak of taking down top ranked teams and to make the programs first Rose Bowl since 2001. Purdue will need to hope that Michigan is on a let-down from their big win in The Game, because the Wolverines looked pretty unstoppable last week. It is fair to question whether the explosive plays are repeatable. If JJ McCarthy looks like he did last weekend, Michigan will not only crush Purdue, but may be the top seed in the Playoffs overall. I think Michigan’s offense will regress slightly, and the first half may be tight, but Michigan will win with ease.
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